The three undergraduate founders of Omega Psi Phi--later Bishop Edgar A. Love, Dr. Oscar J. Cooper and Professor Frank Coleman--were collectively called the "Three Musketeers" by students during their undergraduate years at Howard University.

Omega Psi Phi was invited to "colonize" at the University of Havana in December 1951 just before Gen. Fulgencio Batista staged a coup d'etat, cancelled elections, ousted Cuban President Carlos Prio Socarras and became dictator in March 1952. In the midst of this political tumult, nothing ever came of this opportunity.

D'oh!

And thanks.

Good point.

oh wow! makes you think how every single girl's rush could ended up had Chi Omega been named something else... (im just recalling from the abundance of rush threads how PNMs often get confused by which house is which and worse, choose letters on how "greek" the letters look/sound)

Haha you're right! I never thought about that. Lambda phi xi.. for some reason just doesn't sound as good though :p

Do founders really get to actually choose their letters? I thought they're given to them.

Btw, the lambda that you know, how old is he? Is he alumni? The reason I ask is that not many lambdas nowadays have those tatoos. In my chapter, me and my linebro were the last to get them (I chose to get the letters instead of the kanji though, and some people tell me it's not as cool)

I also get the impression that all D9 members get tatoos as well (at least the fraternities). Every alpha that I've seen on campus has the letters tatooed, and every omega I see has gotten branded. I don't want to pry, but is it something that all members choose on their own to get? Please tell me if I'm getting too nosy :)

By whom?

by....whoever's in charge of that type of stuff I guess :)

I know it is confusing when it comes to our history, however, every Alumni and Undergraduate publications, especially our 100yrs, Anniversary Book, it states that ZBT was founded at Columbia University by 15 men from several NYC Colleges and Universities to organize the first secret society for Jewish men. Between 1898 and 1903 the society operation as a universal organization under a city charter with members from the following schools....Columbia, NYU, Yeshiva, CCNY, Baruch, Queens Coll., Brooklyn Coll., Long Island Univ., Hunter, etc. There was no Alpha chapter during that time, until 1903 when the society was changed to a Greek-Letter Fraternity and established the Grand Alpha Chapter at City College of NY. I hope this information helps clear up some of the confusion.

LOL. No, there isn't anyone is charge of that stuff. Typically, founders chose their letters (although members of some groups like Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu can tell you that this isn't always the case, since their letters as such came long after they were founded).

Usually, founders choose letters they like for whatever reason or they choose a two- or three-word name, motto or set of principles (usually but not always secret, traditionally but not necessarily in Greek) and then use the initials as their letters. The only real prohibition would be for letter combinations already in use.

I know that our founders chose our letters after doing research to make sure that they were not already being used by another organization. I think that many (if not all) organizations chose their letters specifically for various reasons, although I would assume that when you formally submit your letters in the process to become a legit organization, there are checks in place to ensure that they are not already taken...atleast I think now this is the case.

ahhh.. thanks for the clarification!

You've been spying on super secret underground post-initiation rites, haven't you? :mad:;);):p


Seriously, branding/tattooing is a personal choice, not something that's mandated by any national body. I know several members of both sides of the issue. There are, however, organizations that prohibit their members from getting organizational tattoos, particularly using the greek letters.

Probably not, actually. The only check in place would be that when an org goes to the Secretary of State to incorporate, the SoS's office will check to make sure there isn't another corporation in that state that already has the chosen name or one so close to it that there may be confusion.

The point is that GLOs name themselves; there isn't some pan-Greek naming-authority out there.

There actually is a multicultural sorority named Lambda Phi Xi and at least one of its founders is a member of GC. (although she doesnt frequent very often)

There is a pharmaceutical fraternity named Delta Sigma Theta.